Where’s Your Church?

"Where's your church?"

Someone asked me that question on a Monday morning. As I started to tell them the name of my church and its street location, I noticed that it was 10:30 a.m.

I thought, "No, that facility is not the Church right now." It was on Sunday when people gathered for worship, education, and community; but it wasn't anymore.

No, the Church at 10:30 a.m. on a Monday morning is in the offices of a Smith Barney or in the law offices of Baker and Batts. It is in the kitchen preparing lunch at Papasitos, in a classroom at the University of Texas (or Texas A&M!), in a surgical suite at M. D. Anderson, or plumbing a new house on the west side. At 10:30 a.m. on a Monday morning, the church is cleaning up a family room or the AT&T Center after a Spurs game. It is cruising at 35,000 feet headed to a distant business meeting or driving along IH-10 to make a delivery. On Monday morning, the church is in literally millions of places all over the world—in all the places where Christ's people are at that particular moment.

The church is a relationship more than it is a place.

A woman asked Jesus an interesting question about the best place to worship. Jesus responded, "The hour is coming and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth" (John 4). God lives in and through our lives. God is present wherever we are—in us, through us, and all around us. The church is the people of God, gathered together in a particular place and time to celebrate who God is and what God has done. The church is also Christ's much loved people scattered, experiencing and celebrating God out in the world He made, loves, and seeks to renew. Even "if I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there" (Psalm 139:8, NKJV).

God's people, called to be servant leaders like Jesus, serve the Father in spirit and truth where they are. We go to work, and give our work as work for the Lord, our spiritual exercise, our celebration of the glory of the creator, redeemer and sustainer.

So too, God is present wherever two or three are gathered together in His service. Christ, the Church, is there when we say an encouraging word to someone in the next office, serve a personal need of someone working alongside us.

God is present throughout the week, wherever you are, ready to remind us of His love and the grace of the living presence of the risen Jesus. We can celebrate and take hope in that presence—and receive and enjoy His gifts. We can serve and honor him as we honor and serve those around us, whether our co-workers or the recipients of our work.

Wherever we go, there is the church—God present for us, with us, through us.

God calls us to recognize, receive, enjoy, celebrate, worship, give, serve, live, love—all to the glory of God, each day, all day . . . at least the next few minutes, wherever we are.